WYOMING - It could be very easy for the Wyoming High School football team to overlook the task at hand.

The unbeaten Cowboys (14-0) are headed to Canton to play for a Division IV state title Saturday night. It's the program's first championship berth since 1977, when they capped a perfect season with a 26-14 win over Elyria Catholic at the Akron Rubber Bowl for the school's lone football title to date.

Making its first-ever trip to Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, it's typical for a team to get lost in the glitz and glamour of a 23,000-seat venue. Setting the record straight Tuesday night was Athletic Director Jan Wilking, who delivered a simple message about the team's 240-mile northbound excursion.

"Jan really set the tone at that meeting," Tim Marty said. "She said, 'This is a business trip. We're going up there for one reason. We're not going up there to party. We're gonna go up there, we're gonna behave and we're gonna win state.' That was pretty cool. That's a really good way to look at it."

Marty knows plenty about winning state championships. He was a sophomore on the '77 team that brought home a Class AA title and his father, Ted Marty Jr., won a state track championship in the 4x100 in 1952. Wyoming football has been entrenched in Marty's life for as long as he can remember. Saturday will be the final game for his son, Shep, a senior offensive and defensive lineman.

"Shep is just so focused on the game. They're just trying to get through this weekend. I've just told him to enjoy it because there are not a lot of high school seniors that get to go through this," Marty said. "Win or lose, it's gonna be a special day. He thinks I'm nuts, but it's gonna mean a lot more to him later in life."

Marty's other son, Will, was the Cincinnati Hills League Player of the Year in 2013 and just finished his collegiate career at Butler University with a 307-yard, two-touchdown performance against Davidson on Nov. 17. After Shep's final game Saturday, Marty will be a little less connected to Wyoming football.

"I don't have anymore skin in the game," Marty said. "I don't have any other kids playing. This is a huge deal for me. I can't stop talking about it. I can't work. My phone is just blowing up."

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Wyoming lineman Shep Marty recovers a fumble for the Cowboys during their football game against Indian Hill, Friday, Oct.26, 2018.(Photo: Tony Tribble for the Enquirer)

He'll likely jump on the Northwestern train. That's what his younger brother, Jon, is riding. Jon's son, Andrew, is a sophomore quarterback for the Wildcats and Jon will be headed west to Indianapolis on Saturday to see Northwestern's Big 10 title clash with Ohio State.

Andrew was the 2016 Athlete of the Year in the CHL after a 50-touchdown season. Andrew's favorite target that year was Garyn Prater (older brother of current signal-caller Evan), who is now a sophomore wide receiver at Ohio State. The two will be on opposite sidelines for the Big 10 Championship while their high school team attempts to win state.

"I don't have anyone playing for Wyoming this year, but it kills me that these games are the exact same time on the exact same day," Jon said. "It's really crazy. They (Garyn and Andrew) played youth football together and here they are staring at each other from opposite sides of the field in the Big 10 Championship."

It's difficult for this season to not have a special meaning to Jon and Tim. The brothers started the Wyoming Youth Football Program in 2005 and coached some of the seniors that are one win away from history.

"We have a slight degree of ownership in all of it," Jon said with a laugh. "These kids we've coached who are playing right now, we're just so proud of them. There's a lot of people who have supported these kids for years. They're all great kids who love the game and they've worked really hard."

The program can feel the support from throughout the community. Blue and white ribbons filled the trees along Pendery Avenue Friday morning as fans of all ages lined the streets to send the Cowboys to Canton. For all of Wyoming's success throughout its many athletic programs, football stays superior. This is the 100th season of Cowboys football and 89 have been winning campaigns. Its second-round playoff victory over Indian Hill on Nov. 10 was the program's 700th career win.

The Wyoming Cowboys are heading to Canton to play in the Division IV state championship football game. Their community wanted to show support.
Shelby Dermer, Cincinnati

"Going to state is the dream for every kid that plays football at Wyoming," Jon said. "Football in this town is unbelievable. It's a small community and football is just the thing to do on Friday nights."

Tim added: "Football in Wyoming is a big deal and it always has been. We had spirit buses going up 41 years ago and we have that now. Football has always been a fabric of Wyoming and we've always had the support of the community."

At 2.8 square miles, Wyoming is compact part of Hamilton County. But wherever you venture to in the city, the consensus remains that Wyoming is the typical Friday frenzy town where football reigns supreme.

Jim Gelhausen has worked at the Wyoming Meat Market since 1969. The Roger Bacon grad remembers what it was like in 1977, but feels the community has an even stronger bond now through the school.

"I think Wyoming is more tight-knit than it was then. There's just that great camaraderie," Gelhausen said. "School is probably the most important thing in this city. Everybody's involved with it. So when something like this happens, everybody is excited. They're making memories they will keep for the rest of their lives."

Across the street, Inez Baird of the Art Resource Team caught the Friday night fever when her son, Hogan, played for Wyoming before graduating in 2016.

"I really miss it," Baird said. "When it ended three years ago for Hogan, it was like, 'what are we gonna do?' You could equate it to 'Friday Night Lights.' It's a small town; everybody knows everybody. Football is a big deal and it's what we do."

Tela Bar + Kitchen opened in 2015, the same year of Wyoming's last regular-season loss. The gastropub is close enough to Bob Lewis Stadium that an Evan Prater deep ball could probably hit the back entrance. Owner Doug Nawrocki, a 1986 Colerain grad, has quickly learned over three the last three years how big of a deal the Cowboys are.

"Everybody comes in with their Wyoming gear before and after the game. It's just great," Nawrocki said. "Because of us being here since 2015, I really feel like we've become part of the community and we've developed a lot of friendships here."

Tela will host a watch party Saturday night at 1212 Springfield Pike when Wyoming battles Girard (13-1) at 8 p.m.

"Head coach Aaron Hancock has done a fantastic job, going 12-1 the last two years and then getting over the hump this year," former Wyoming AD Jim Barre said. "It's gonna be a very interesting matchup. I think the whole city of Wyoming will be there. It's just very exciting for the community."